The invention relates to the field of dentistry and oral hygiene, in particular, a support device that assists with dental treatment involving the mandibular (lower) teeth by providing a finger rest to act as a fulcrum on the sharp edges of the incisors (front teeth), or to act as a fulcrum in the case of loose incisors or no incisors.
Oral hygienists and dentists must often treat the lower mandibular teeth, for example, to scale off calculus, or clean off tartar. To do this, the oral hygienist or dentist must rest his or her fingers on the incisors in order to pivot a dental instrument. Over time, calluses form on the fingers of the hygienist or dentist due to the sharpness of the incisors. This also causes a loss of sensation.
Resting fingers on the incisors to pivot a dental instrument is also dangerous for the patient due to risk of slippage and loss of control of the dental instrument resulting from a combination of force, saliva, and use of a latex glove.
On the other extreme, some patients have no incisors, and thus no place to pivot a dental instrument, or loose teeth (periodontal disease) on which pressure cannot be applied without causing'pain to the patient. The present invention can therefore additionally serve as a fulcrum on which to pivot a dental instrument where the patient has no incisors or loose incisors.
A need therefore arises to provide protection to the fingers of an oral hygienist or dentist, improve the safety of patients by reducing the risk of slippage and loss of control of a dental instrument while treating the lower mandibular teeth, and provide a means to pivot a dental instrument where the patient has no incisors or loose incisors.
The need is satisfied in the form of the present invention which consists of a dental fulcrum, preferably of soft foam material capable of absorbing saliva, with a notch or slit in the center for insertion, wherein the dental fulcrum is placed over the incisors through the slit. The dental fulcrum reduces the risk of slippage because the soft foam provides friction against slippage, while also absorbing saliva, and avoids injury to the hands of the oral hygienist or dentist whose fingers may now rest on the soft foam to pivot a dental instrument.
While the dental fulcrum is designed for the lower front teeth, it is to be understood that it may be used for the upper teeth, as well as other teeth as a dentist or oral hygienists deems fit.